-Note- A lot of things have happened since I last updated, and most of them have been bad…I did finish NaNoWriMo, with a word count of 50630. I really loved it, and would recommend itto anyone who has had a plot rolling around in their head and no motivation to write it down. :D

Weekly updates are currently out of the question...sorry!

-Disclaimer- please see chapter 1.

A Home, of Sorts

When he returned to his room in the caves, he saw that someone had been in to tidy it up. There was a vase of ferns standing on his table, and an extra lantern had been lit to keep out the (rather stygian) darkness. He fed Alyaran, bathed, and braced himself for another dinner in the company of his own kind.

In the end, though, the meal wasn't so horrible. There was wine and venison, and the last of the autumn apples had been baked into pies and pressed into ciders. He sat at Thranduil's table, making small talk with his sons and advisors, sharing news from the outside world. It was not so difficult, once he became used to it, and it was rather like slipping on an old pair of shoes; strange at first, then more comfortable as the day progressed.

Nevertheless, he heaved a silent sigh of relief as he watched Rúmil's back disappear into the woods as he was left at the trailhead.

"Alyaran," he said quietly, after he was sure that the other Elf had gone out of ear-shot, "Let's go home."

And it was a home, of sorts, he thought as he entered the citytwo days later. The apartment was certainly not Imladris, but it would do for a time.

­Sighing heavily, he laid his bag on the floor outside his door, drew the key from his pocket. Alyaran pranced excitedly next to him.

He got the door open, hung up his green cloak, and headed straight for his bedroom. He swung the suitcase onto his mattress, watching briefly to make sure it did not slide off the edge of his bed.

"Alyaran?" he called. "Are you hungry?"

Of course, there was no answer. He smiled. He had grown entirely too used to having people to speak with. He laughed quietly at himself, went contentedly to the kitchen, pulled out a frozen dinner from his freezer. He heated it up in the microwave, fed a very happy Alyaran.

The microwave dinged loudly- annoyingly- and he pulled the tray out, setting it down on the counter before it burned him. He pulled up a chair and ate before the television set, catching up on the news.

He discovered he hadn't really missed much.

Well, he was quick to correct, he had missed things, just not the news anchor spouting out frivolous tales of stolen garden plants and local Boy Scout troops.

He wondered why he had to leave something to find out how much he loved it.

"Alyaran?" he asked suddenly, ignoring the nagging voice in his head that reminded him that he was speaking to his dog, "You stay here a moment. I've got to say hello to a neighbor."

Alyaran did not reply, but Glorfindel finished his dinner, discarded the tray, and left. When he arrived at Mrs. Rosenthal's door, it was unlocked. He opened it tentatively, calling her name.

He heard a bustle of skirts, a wooden clunk as her cane hit the floor with every step. Mrs. Rosenthal appeared before him, grinning broadly.

"Gordon!" she cried. "How nice to see you! Come in, come in!" she opened the door wider and hurried him inside, pecking him on the cheek briefly.

"Hello, Mrs. Rosenthal," he said, entering. She sat on the couch, gestured for him to join her.

"How have you been, Gordon, dear?" she asked. "I haven't heard anything from your apartment for days."

"Oh," he said, lifting his arms from his lap to make room for a marmalade cat.

"What's this one called?" he asked. "I've seen her here before, but…"

"This is Miss Marmalade," said Mrs. Rosenthal, smiling, "Marm, for short."

Glorfindel smiled petted her. "I've been to see a few old friends," he said, remembering her earlier question. "I just got back."

"Well, did you have a good time, dear?" she asked pleasantly. "Was that young man- Elliot, I think? Was he there?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "Just some people I've known for a very long time."

"Ah."

They sat in silence. Mrs. Rosenthal seemed to remember something.

"Gordon, you must meet my granddaughter!" she said suddenly.

"Your-"

"She's moved in for a while. She got a job in the city." Mrs. Rosenthal turned away from him, and called loudly, "Ruthie! Ruthie, dear! Come and meet your neighbor!"

"I'll be right there!" came the muffled reply. A door opened and shut, a petite young woman rounded the corner, brushing short, dark hair behind her ear. She smiled upon seeing him. He and Mrs. Rosenthal stood.

"Ruthie, this is our upstairs neighbor, the one I was telling you about," said Mrs. Rosenthal, putting Ruthie's hand in Glorfindel's. "And Gordon, this is my granddaughter, Ruthie."

"Nice to meet you, Gordon," she said, and added quietly, "You can call me Ruth."

He nodded, seeing that Mrs. Rosenthal had not heard. "Nice to meet you, Ruth," he said.

"Shall I get some tea?" Mrs. Rosenthal asked. They both declined the offer, and sat awkwardly for a few minutes.

Glorfindel checked his watch.

"Mrs. Rosenthal," he said, "I have to be going now- I have work in the morning, and I have yet to unpack."

He stood and helped her up.

"Then go, young man!" she said waving her arm in the direction of the door. "You mustn't leave your clothes in a suitcase for too long, or else they'll wrinkle!"

He nodded and laughed. "I'll come by later in the week," he said, opening the door. "Good bye, Mrs. Rosenthal, Ruth.'

Ruth waved at him from the couch, smiling. Mrs. Rosenthal gave him another kiss on the cheek, and he left.

Glorfindel rode the elevator back up to his apartment, let himself inside. He turned on the lights, unpacked his things, spent the evening petting Alyaran and staring into the fire.

It was good to be back.

Thanks for reading! Review Responses:

Kazbels: I didn't, either, but then I went in out into my own garden, and decided it would be a nice place to find an Elf. ;)

Erestor: Thanks! The prospect of Thranduil was kind of frightening- I didn't want him to be Evil!Thranduil. I'm glad you liked him!

Crystal113: Thanks for the websites! And congratulations, NOVELIST! :P It was really nice talking with you, especially with the funeral and everything going on- it really helped. I hope we can keep this up during the off-NaNo season…? Are you participating next year? I've got a sequel to write now, so I think I will be. :D We're novelists!

Saturn's Hikari: Eh, don't worry! And don't worry about Mrs. Rosenthal, either- lookit, I gave her a granddaughter so she wouldn't be lonely! :)

Stuntz: Thanks! Hopefully, this chapter is good too- I confess, I have to get used to this style of writing again, as it's different from the one I usually use.

Melannen Halfelven: The twins! Hooray for the twins! Of course there's more story- not a lot more, but some. :D

Noldo: Oooh, thanks for pointing that out! I changed it! The date is Nov. 2 for no good reason- I just picked a day. It's Friday by coincidence, since he left on Wednesday and the drive took him 2 days, but it certainly is a very nice coincidence! And yes, you're right about clematis. ;)

ShadowlessPhantom: No Haldir, sorry. I think Orophin gets an honorable mention. And Haldir is very much alive!